Monday, April 25, 2005

Missouri Democrats have come out with a report card for Matt Blunt's first 100 days in office, and they give him an F. That's unfair. After all, Blunt took heat from his religious base for vowing to veto the bill to criminalize stem cell research. So, fair is fair. An F is too low. On the other hand, after looking at the list below, I can't give him more than an F+. Most of what he's done is selfish and hypocritical.F on Healthcare--Cutting healthcare for 100,000 Missourians--Eliminating the First Steps program--Voting to end Missouri's Medicaid program by 2008--Drastically cutting the state's children's health care program (CHIPS)F on Education--Giving $0 in new discretionary education funding--Withholding $100 million in education funding--All but assuring courts will be running our schools after failing to reform the state's education funding systemF for Hurting Families:--Taking away rights of all workers injured on the job and rewarding businesses that keep unsafe workplaces--Cutting support for adoptive parents--Cutting home-delivered meals for senior citizensF for Justice--Rationed justice for Missourians injured by negligent corporationsF for Integrity--Proposed a budget that is $240 million out of balance--Gave $3.6 million in no-bid state contracts to the family of the federal prosecutor responsible for investigating corruption in his administration--Awarding of fee offices to political cronies and campaign donors led to investigations of both state and federal ethics violations--Let lobbyists handpick his cabinet, allowing insurance execs to select the state's chief insurance watchdog--Spent $117,000 redecorating his personal offices, at the same time he was demanding state agencies slash their spending and he had called for gutting health coverage for 100,000 Missourians--Had the state buy two brand new SUVs for him and his family to use at the same time he enacted a ban on new vehicle purchases for the rest of the state governmentF for Keeping Promises--Reduced Medicaid eligibility--Failed to address the school foundation formula--Cut aid to Missouri's most vulnerable rather than rooting out waste and fraud--Withheld education money from Missouri's colleges and universities